Paradise Shelduck

The Paradise Shelduck, known in Maori as putangitangi, is a large, distinctive duck endemic to New Zealand, unusual among ducks for its striking difference in appearance between the sexes. The female has a pure white head and neck contrasting with a rich chestnut body, while the male is mostly blackish overall with a finely vermiculated grey back and a dark green-glossed head.

Once more confined to wetlands, the species has adapted remarkably well to farmland, and pairs or small flocks are now a familiar sight grazing on grassy paddocks well away from water across much of New Zealand. Pairs mate for life and are usually seen together, often giving loud honking calls, particularly when disturbed or in flight.

Key field marks

• Female: bright white head and neck, chestnut-orange body
• Male: dark blackish-green head, finely vermiculated grey back, blackish underparts
• Large size for a duck, with a fairly long neck
• Loud, honking calls in flight, especially from the female
• Often seen grazing on open pasture well away from water

Similar species

• No other New Zealand waterfowl shares the female's combination of a solid white head and chestnut body; the male's dark plumage could suggest a goose at a distance, but its shelduck shape and typical pairing with a white-headed female confirm identification.

Range

Endemic to New Zealand, found throughout the North and South Islands, having greatly expanded its range and numbers since the conversion of forest to farmland.

Habitat

Uses a wide range of habitats including farm pasture, wetlands, rivers, lakes, and estuaries, often grazing on grass far from open water.

Migration

Mostly sedentary, though large post-breeding flocks gather at traditional molting sites on lakes and rivers.

Behavior

Usually seen in pairs, which mate for life and defend a shared territory, or in larger non-breeding flocks outside the nesting season, especially at molting grounds.

Voice

Loud, distinctive calls: the female gives a sharp, repeated honking "zeek-zeek," while the male's call is a deeper, harsher note.

Feeding

Grazes mainly on grasses and clover in pasture, and also feeds on aquatic plants and invertebrates in and around wetlands and waterways.

Nesting

Nests on the ground in a hollow, under vegetation, or sometimes in a tree cavity, often well away from water; the female incubates the eggs while the male stands guard nearby, and both parents accompany the ducklings after hatching.